1993 PREP PREVIEW / BOYS TENNIS : Newport Harbor’s Abrams Ready to State Case in Higher Court : Tennis: He and his coaches, however, say he is not wasting his time playing in high school. They believe it will get him ready for bigger and better things.

Geoff Abrams’ high school tennis career at Newport Harbor has yet to begin, but already people are wondering when it might end.

If Abrams lives up to even half of the expectations, expect him to go the way of Pete Sampras and Michael Chang--spend a year of dominating older players, win the Southern Section singles title, and then leave for bigger and better competition.

Don’t count on Abrams turning pro like Chang and Sampras did, he says he wants to play college tennis. But make no mistake, Abrams is a bit out of place on a high school tennis court.

Although he doesn’t turn 15 until May 10, Abrams already dwarfs his prospective opponents physically and mentally. He stands 6 feet 5, has a 120 m.p.h. serve and an even temperament perfectly suited for the tennis court.

“As long as he wants to play, I’ll be happy to have him,” Newport Harbor tennis Coach Charlie Bleiker said. “If he turns pro, that’s fine. I expect him to do that.”

Some people wonder why Abrams, the nation’s No. 1-ranked player in the boys’ 14 age group and the second youngest player ever named to the USTA national team, would even bother with high school tennis. Abrams and his coaches don’t feel the phenom will be wasting his time.

“He’ll get some good practice and it gives him an opportunity to interact with his schoolmates and his classmates,” said Nick Saviano, Abrams’ coach on the USTA National team. “I played high school tennis and it was a meaningful experience for me.”

Said Phil Dent, who teaches Abrams at the John Wayne Tennis Club: “You have to play everything. You can’t run and hide. He’s got to be able to put it on the line.”

Abrams said he’s looking forward to this season, but he is noncommittal about next year.

“I kind of thought it would be a new experience,” Abrams said. “To travel with my peers and meet some of them I didn’t know before will be nice.

“I couldn’t say I had an obligation to play, but I’ve known the coach for a while and I didn’t want to let him down. It’s just for fun anyway, and you want to help out your school.”

Most Orange County coaches say Abrams will help his school, which was 12-10 overall last season and 6-4 in the tough Sea View League.

“They go into a match with a 3-0 lead,” said Bob Walton, the Laguna Beach tennis coach. “I don’t think too many people are going to beat (Abrams). One player can’t win it for you, but if you can get help from a couple other players, you have a chance to win a lot of matches.”

But not every coach is willing to concede Abrams the league or section title.

“He’ll have to fight his brains out to win our league,” University Coach Bob Davis said. “He’s the man, no doubt about it. It’s a testament to him that he can come in and be the No. 1 player in our league.”

Abrams is taking nothing for granted. He realizes that he’s playing in the Sea View League, which has four of the county’s top six teams--Corona del Mar, University, Woodbridge and Newport Harbor. And he understands that high school tennis, with its team play and one-set matches, has a different format than junior tennis.

“I don’t expect to go undefeated (in dual matches),” he said. “Everyone can have a bad day.”

But Abrams realizes that people are not expecting him to have many of them.

“I started to gain that pressure that top seeded kids get about a year ago,” Abrams said. “I like it. I like the attention and the pressure. I’d rather be on the top than on the bottom.”

Most tennis experts say he will likely get his wish.

“I don’t remember anybody with that size being that good at that young an age,” said Kevin Lyons, who works in the USTA player development program.

Said Saviano: “Geoff has a tremendous serve, a good court demeanor, a great work ethic and good athleticism, but predominantly he’s bigger and stronger than most players his size.”

In the last two years, Dent and Saviano have transformed Abrams from a hard-hitting baseliner to a powerful serve-and-volley player, in the mold of Stefan Edberg.

As he has become increasingly confident and proficient at playing the net, Abrams’ opponents have become helpless.

Since April, 1992, Abrams has won the prestigious Ojai tournament, the Easter Bowl in Florida, the National Claycourts and the National Hardcourts.

Could the section singles title be next?

“It’s a nice title to have,” Abrams said. “Not too many freshmen have done it.”

Not too many freshmen look or play like Abrams.

“A few guys on the pro tour wouldn’t mind having his serve,” Dent said.

But is he good enough to jump from high school to the professional tour?

“Geoffrey is a hell of a good tennis player, but he isn’t as good as Chang was then,” Dent said. “I wouldn’t ever say no, but I wouldn’t want to put that burden on his shoulders.”

Said Abrams: “There’s not much chance of me turning pro before I finish high school . . . Very slim, unless some very strange phenomenon happens.”

Some say it already has.